The Haunting of Kyougokudo
by weezerz2490
Summary: Three years before the events of Mouryou no Hako, Chuuzenji Akhiko was working as a lecturer in higher education. After accepting an invitation to give a lecture at the Kyoto University he meets a very curious young woman, and a case of a possible possession is brought to his attention.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This fanfic is set well before _Mouryou no Hako_ and it's prequel _Summer of the Ubume._ So 'Kyougokudo' will simply be known by his real name, Chuuzenji Akihiko, since he hasn't opened his bookstore yet, nor is he married. I will try to keep everyone in character, but it's hard to capture the genius of the original author Kyogoku Natsuhiko.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Series of Meetings  
**

* * *

It was in the peak summer of the 24th year of the Showa era, July of 1949, when they first met. On his way to conduct a lecture on Shintoism at Kyoto University, Chuuzenji Akihiko had decided to take a slight detour to visit one of the local shrines that would play a part in his discourse, Yoshida-Jinja. The Yoshida shrine, located on Yoshida Mountain in Kyoto was a small seemingly unpretentious shrine complex. Akihiko stopped when he came upon the torii leading to the shrine for the _kami_ Kuni no Tokotachi. Beneath the vermillion arch stood a very striking young woman who appeared to be not much older than Atsuko. However, unlike his braying mare of a sister, this attractive young lady held an air of quiet dignity and grace about her. Her short, silky black hair had been neatly pinned up into a French twist to expose the nape of her neck, and her sky-blue kimono had an elegant and flowing weeping willow design. It was probably at least ten years old, but it had been well cared for; and it complimented the deep blue eyes that were fixed on the arch's base pillar to her left. He watched as she moved closer to it, reaching out with a light touch to carefully trace something on its surface with the tips of her slender fingers. Those blue eyes shined with mixed emotions as she stared at something on the pillar. And then, she smiled… soft, sad, affectionate, and lonely. The wind rustled through the treetops, and a stray leaf fluttered down. Catching its movement out the corner of her eye, the young lady turned to look, and her eyes met his.

"Oh!" She gasped, almost jumping when she suddenly realized she was no longer alone. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." She said, brightening up to give him a polite smile that made it look as if she hadn't a care in the world. "Am I in the way?" Her Japanese was excellent, but she had a faint American accent. This small clue to her origins certainly helped explain her unusual eye color.

"Not at all." He replied. "I was simply wondering what had captured your interest."

"Ah." She said a bit sheepishly. "I'm afraid it's this." She moved aside so that he might see for himself. Carved into the side of the pillar was a heart shape with the English letters 'J' and 'K' inside, with a plus sign between them.

"I see." He said. It was unusual to see something like that, especially at a sacred shrine. One might think that it had been done by one of the American soldiers stationed in the city as part of the postwar occupation forces, but the carving looked too old for that. It was very worn, and had been exposed to the elements; dark with grains of dust and dirt caught inside the grooves. It also appeared to have been painted over at least once before.

"My father told me he carved this here while waiting for my mother. They used to meet here when they were younger. He didn't know the arch's significance at the time, and my mother apparently gave him a good scolding for it." She explained wryly with a small, affectionate laugh.

"Your father was American?" he asked, though he was certain he already knew the answer to his own question.

"Yes, and my mother was originally from here. They met while he was on shore leave, several years before the war… I'm surprised this is still here." She said with a wan smile, touching the heart. "Oh, where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself yet, have I?" she asked pleasantly. "My name is Minato, Minato Strand." She said, greeting him with a proper bow.

"Chuuzenji Akihiko." He introduced himself, returning her polite greeting with bow of his own.

"Chuuzenji-san." she said, testing how his name sounded from her own lips. "It's nice to meet you." She said with another polite smile. "Have you come to pray? If so, please, don't let me stop you."

"No, I merely had some time to spare and thought I might pay this place a visit to refresh my memory. I'm giving a lecture on Shintoism, and I will be using this shrine as an example." He explained.

"Oh? That sounds interesting. Is there something special about this particular shrine?" she asked curiously.

"There is. Amongst the thousands of Shinto shrines throughout Japan, this little-known shrine is entirely unique due to the ambition of Yoshida Kanetomo." He answered, going on to explain how this shrine, having been in the care of the Yoshida family for centuries, came under control of Yoshida Kanetomo in the 15th century. Yoshida began to make changes in the form of Shinto practiced there and built a new shrinet on the complex. This new shrine hinted at Yoshida's desire for power; its octagonal shape and eight pillars were exclusive to the new shrine. The number 8 is closely tied to the royal family and reflects imperial power, something Yoshida seemed to want to imitate. Yoshida then declared that Amaterasu, the sun goddess herself, was enshrined at this new shrine, not as the main _kami_ but as a subsidiary deity to Kuni-no-Tokotachi. Yoshida changed contemporary Shinto by elevating Kuni-no-Tokotachi from relative oblivion to the supreme _kami_ of the universe, creating his own sect of Shinto. The main shrine to Kuni-no-Tokotachi, hidden behind a closed gate is flanked by smaller shrines to Amaterasu and Toyouke and surrounded by a wall of shrines dedicated to all the other _kami_ in Japan. However, Yoshida's reinterpretation of Shinto was not the only unusual addition he made to the religion. After his death Yoshida was buried on the shrine complex and a small shrine was built over his body, and his spirit was enshrined there. This bold action created a precedent for interring the spirits of important men as _kami,_ which is still practiced within Shinto. The young lady made a good audience. She seemed genuinely intrigued by what he had to say and listened intently while he spoke, only interrupting once or twice to ask for a deeper explanation behind concepts that were too foreign for her to grasp from context.

"Wow, I had no idea. That was very interesting." She said with a warm, genuine smile once he had finished, impressed. "It sounds a little similar to the Catholic practice of interring saints and their relics beneath altars and inside chapels."

"A little. However, in Catholicism, a saint, while acknowledged as being especially holy or virtuous, is still considered to be human. But this isn't the case in Shintoism. The idea of making someone a _kami_ means raising a normal person to the level where they can be considered a god. One does not have to be particularly holy to be deified in this manner, so potentially anyone who was viewed as being especially extraordinary in life can become a _kami_ in death. In a sense Humans become _kami_ after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral _kami_. In contrast to many monotheist religions, there are no absolutes in Shinto. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. Consequently, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the _kami_."

"I see… my mother practiced Shinto, but she and my father had me baptized as Catholic, because she thought being Christian would help me fit in better. I would often ask her about it, but her explanations never went into such great detail. Many Catholics also pray to deceased family members in addition to the Church's officially canonized saints." She said thoughtfully. "But—and please, don't take this personally—isn't blaming all your problems on evil spirits a little _too_ optimistic? It seems to me that being able to blame all of your bad deeds on an outside force would negate any sense of responsibility on the part of the individual. Ah, but I'm not saying that humans are intrinsically evil, and it is true that some people might have circumstances where they feel they feel that they can't be in proper control of their own actions… But I think all of us possess the potential for both great good and great evil equally. I think everyone is born with a clean slate, and it's the choices we make as individuals that determine what we become, like in that old Cherokee story."

"Cherokee?" Chuuzenji asked.

"Oh, right, sorry. I guess I should explain." She said a bit sheepishly. "The Cherokees are one of many American indian tribes. In the story, an old Cherokee tells his grandson, 'My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, jealously, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.' The boy thought about it, and asked, 'Grandfather, which wolf wins?' The old man quietly replied, 'The one you feed.'"

"I see. There is much truth and wisdom in that story." He said with appreciation.

"Yes, I find the stories and philosophies of the 'first Americans' often are. If you aren't familiar with many indian myths and legends, then I really recommend looking them up. Many tribes share the Shinto belief in animism. I think you will find them intriguing."

"Excuse me!" an American soldier suddenly called out, alerting them to his presence. Despite his foreign uniform, this young man looked even more Japanese than Minato. "Sorry to disturb you, but I'm looking for—Ah!" he gasped upon taking a closer look at them. "There you are, Minato-chan." He said, taking her by the hands and exchanging a hug with her. They were obviously very close. "I can't believe this is the same shrimp I left behind six years ago. The tomboy who used to race me down the streets in her little red wagon turned into a young lady while I wasn't looking." He teased with a grin.

"I wasn't going to stay a child forever, Ken-nii." She retorted with a wry smile. "And I'm not the only one who got older. Some of Karin-chan's first steps are in here." She said, handing over an thick envelope stuffed with photographs.

"Wow, that little baby got big!" Ken said proudly, taking a quick look at the first few photos in the front. "Hey, let's go find somewhere to sit down and talk about it. You have no idea how nice it is to finally see a friendly face after being away from home for so long."

"All right." She agreed before turning back to face Chuuzenji. "Thank you, Chuuzenji-san. It was a very interesting chat, but I must be going now that my escort has arrived." She said, bowing respectfully while flashing him a warm smile.

"No, thank you for showing an interest." He said. He had even managed to learn something new. "Most girls your age wouldn't."

"Well, I suppose that's their loss." She replied with a small shrug and another smile. "My mother used to tell me lots of stories about her homeland when I was younger, and ever since I've always enjoyed learning about the myths and legends of different cultures. I think it's really neat to see how much these ancient beliefs differ can differ from each other while still sharing similar core values, and how they have affected human development. Even now you can see traces of their influence in our daily lives. Is your lecture open to the public?"

"I'm afraid it's only open to those enrolled in my colleague's class." Chuuzenji replied with a quick glance at his watch. He should probably be leaving soon himself. Their little discussion had taken up more time than he had realized.

"Oh, that's too bad." She said, clearly disappointed. "I would have liked to hear more on the subject."

"Yes, it's a real shame. Thank you for keeping her company, but we have to be going now." Ken said, taking her by the hand. "My friends are waiting, and they're all really eager to meet you." He told Minato as he began leading her away.

"Farewell, Chuuzenji-san." She said, looking back to give him one last smile. "It would be nice if we could meet again."

"Hey, who was that guy? I didn't realize you had other acquaintances in Japan. Was he a friend of your fathers?" Ken asked once he was sure they were out of earshot, switching to English.

"No way. He's too young for that." Minato said, giving him a look that let him know that much should have been obvious. Her lady-like façade was beginning to slip in front of her childhood friend. "We just happened to meet and started chatting. Chuuzenji-san is giving a lecture at a local university on Shintoism. I suppose he came to the shrine to refresh his memory, since he said it would part of his lecture. Talking to him was really interesting. He appears to be very knowledgeable." She explained with a smile.

"Yeah, uh-huh." Ken responded rather dubiously, wondering just how concerned he should be. "I didn't think I would have to tell you this at this age, but you should be more careful when talking to strangers. There's still a lot of anti-American sentiment lingering after the war. Well, not that I can really blame them after seeing the damage from the bombs… Anyway, you're a good-looking gal, and your eyes really stand out over here, so you need to be on your guard. You shouldn't be wandering around by yourself like this."

"I can handle myself. I'm tougher than I look." Minato reminded him. It also helped that she had learned some Judo while he was away at war. "Besides, I don't think Chuuzenji-san would have done anything. He seemed like a reasonable person."

"Don't tell me you like that gloomy guy?" Ken asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger girl. With that sour expression on his face, Chuuzenji looked like a difficult person to get along with. "He's so thin and pale, I almost mistook him for a POW or a ghost. Someone really needs to get that guy a sandwich."

"You're really rude, you know." Minato told him, though she couldn't dispute his observation that the academic seemed in dire need of some sun and little fattening up. "And give me some credit would you? I'm not so desperate that I'd fall in love with someone I just met just because he was a little nice to me."

"Yeah, I'm sure you've got all the boys back home wrapped around your little finger, huh?" Ken teased with a smirk, earning himself an elbow in the ribs.

'As if that would do me any good… when I can't have the one I want the most.' Minato thought sadly, hiding behind a smile.

"Anyway," Ken said with a cough and rueful smile, "I hope you've got a pen in that purse, because a couple of my friends are big fans of yours."

"What? You told them?" Minato asked, furrowing her brow slightly in annoyance. "I was using a pseudonym for a reason, Ken."

"Don't worry." He said carelessly. "These guys know how to keep a secret. Besides, you've got better things to worry about, right?"

"I suppose." She mused with a small frown. After all, who would have thought that her mother's side of the family would suddenly reach out to her after all these years?

Just a little over an hour later, Chuuzenji Akihiko had finished dismissing the students and was in the process of getting ready to leave himself. The lecture had gone about as well as could be expected, though he would have preferred it if they had asked more questions. He could tell by the expressions on his audience's faces that more than a few of them had some trouble comprehending the vast amount of information that he had covered in its entirety.

"Very well done, Chuuzenji-sensei. I think I saw a few of them actually come alive." Shin'ichi Hisamatsu, the professor in charge of the class praised him. Lately his students seemed to be in a bit of a rut, so he had been hoping that inviting a guest speaker might snap them out of it. "As thanks, why don't I take you to lunch? It will be my treat. However, I must confess that I had an ulterior motive for inviting you here. I'm afraid have another favor to ask." He said tentatively, pulling out a small photo to show him, which was a portrait of a very attractive young woman. "This young lady is the granddaughter of an old friend of mine, Sai Chizuko. Her parents feel she has reached a marriageable age. Very pretty, isn't she?" She was. She had beautiful soft, doe eyes, and exuded an inherent sense of grace. She was obviously a full-blooded Japanese, but Chuuzenji couldn't help but feel that something about her reminded him of the younger girl that he had met earlier that day, Minato Strand.

"Hisamatsu-sensei, are you asking me to participate in an omiai?"

"Only if you are interested." Hisamatsu replied with a twinkle in his eye, before adopting a more serious expression. "While I do think the two of you would make a good match, what my friend really needs help with is an issue of a more 'supernatural' nature."

"Supernatural?"

"Yes. You see, the friend in question, Sai Youshiro, is the owner of a traditional sweetshop. I've been a patron of his ever since I was here as student. And over the past month, he claims to have seen an apparition of his younger daughter with increasing frequency. According to him, her spirit appears very late at night to lurk outside the shop and the family home. It's beginning to drive him mad. He's been bedridden for the past week. Youshiro-san was diagnosed with a weak heart not too long ago, and Miyako-san, his wife, is afraid the strain could kill him if this continues."

"Has anyone else claimed to see this 'spirit'?"

"No. If she does exist, she only shows herself to Youshiro-san. And that's another cause for worry as far as the family is concerned. They're afraid Youshiro-san might be losing his mind. His son-in-law, who considers himself a 'man of science', is convinced Youshiro is suffering from hallucinations brought on by stress and feelings of guilt. The truth is, no one even knows for sure whether the daughter he claims is haunting him, Kikyo-san, is dead or not. You see, Kikyo-san had always been Youshiro-san's favorite child, but he disowned her after she refused to accept a marriage proposal from a wealthy businessman and ran off with a foreigner instead. She tried sending the family letters, so they know she reached America safely, but Youshiro forbid the rest of the family from having anything to do with her. After years of never receiving any replies, Kiyoko's letters eventually stopped coming. And then the war started. Her fate after that is unknown."

"Has anyone tried writing to Kiyoko-san since then?"

"Yes, Miyako-san attempted to do so behind Youshiro-san's back, but the letter was returned to her with a stamp indicating the person she was looking for no longer lived at that address. I suggested she hire a professional to help locate Kikyo-san, and the lawyer she hired seems to have had some luck, because I heard someone is supposed to be coming over to speak with them on Kikyo-san's behalf."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Chuuzenji asked. He had a fairly good idea where this was going, but…

"Miyako-san is at her wit's end. Since Youshiro-san is convinced he's being haunted, she would like to have someone perform an exorcism in the hope that it will calm him, but their son-in-law is adamant that taking such action will only serve to further his delusions, and he has the rest of the family convinced of this as well." Hisamatsu explained grimly. "Chuuzenji-sensei, I've heard through certain channels that you are an onmyouji. If this is true, then I must humbly request that you perform one for Youshiro-san. The Sai family and I would be forever in your debt." He said with a deep bow. Any lower, and he would be on the floor. Chuuzenji sighed and scratched his head. It couldn't be helped.

"All right. Please raise your head, Hisamatsu-sensei." He said. "The least I can do is take a look. But if, like the son-in-law has suggested, I determine that holding an exorcism would only exacerbate his deteriorating condition, I reserve the right to refuse to do so. Am I correct in assuming the reason why you brought up the subject of the granddaughter's eligibility for marriage is because you plan to smuggle me in under the guise of a suitor?"

"Oh, thank you very much!" Hisamatsu exclaimed gratefully. "And yes, your assumption is correct. It may seem a little rude to Chizuko-chan to use her as an excuse to get in, but she's a good girl. I'm sure she'll forgive us for the deception if it means helping her grandfather. Who knows, maybe you'll even get a bride out of it."

"That's a terrible joke, Sensei." Chuuzenji said ruefully. But it was a curious series of incidents. Not just Sai Youshiro's claim of being haunted, which was more common than most 'modern' people would like to admit, but the existence of this runaway daughter who eloped to America, coupled with the odd resemblance Minato Strand, the daughter of a Japanese immigrant and an American man, seemed to share with Youshiro's granddaughter Chizuko formed an almost eerie string of coincidences. He wondered if the two seemingly separate incidents were not somehow related after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Previously:**

 _"Chuuzenji-sensei, I've heard through certain channels that you are an onmyouji. If this is true, then I must humbly request that you perform one for Youshiro-san. The Sai family and I would be forever in your debt." He said with a deep bow. Any lower, and he would be on the floor. Chuuzenji sighed and scratched his head. It couldn't be helped._

 _"All right. Please raise your head, Hisamatsu-sensei." He said. "The least I can do is take a look. But if, like the son-in-law has suggested, I determine that holding an exorcism would only exacerbate his deteriorating condition, I reserve the right to refuse to do so. Am I correct in assuming the reason why you brought up the subject of the granddaughter's eligibility for marriage is because you plan to smuggle me in under the guise of a suitor?"_

 _"Oh, thank you very much!" Hisamatsu exclaimed gratefully. "And yes, your assumption is correct. It may seem a little rude to Chizuko-chan to use her as an excuse to get in, but she's a good girl. I'm sure she'll forgive us for the deception if it means helping her grandfather. Who knows, maybe you'll even get a bride out of it."_

 _"That's a terrible joke, Sensei." Chuuzenji said ruefully. But it was a curious series of incidents. Not just Sai Youshiro's claim of being haunted, which was more common than most 'modern' people would like to admit, but the existence of this runaway daughter who eloped to America, coupled with the odd resemblance Minato Strand, the daughter of a Japanese immigrant and an American man, seemed to share with Youshiro's granddaughter Chizuko formed an almost eerie string of coincidences. He wondered if the two seemingly separate incidents were not somehow related after all._

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 **Chapter 2: Family Reunion  
**

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"I wish I could stay," Ken told Minato as they were walking down the street, searching for the address that the lawyer hired by her mother's family had given to her, "but they're expecting me back at the base. I've already put in a request for leave for the wedding, so asking for more time is a bit…"

"I know, it's all right." Minato reassured him. "The lawyer I spoke to, Morishita-san, said he would also be there, so it's not like I'll be completely alone with them if there is a problem." She stopped abruptly when her eyes landed on an old but venerable sweetshop, and she glanced at the paper in her hand to make sure she had it right. Minato paused and took a breath. "This is it." She said with an outward calmness that belied her feelings of excitement and anxiety upon reading the sign above the old sweetshop. " _Kyougokudo_." This was the place her mother used to tell her stories about. She was finally seeing it with her own eyes.

"Eh? This is?" Ken said, taken aback.

"Something wrong?" Minato asked, wondering why he looked so surprised.

"No, well, it's just that I've been here before…" he confessed to her astonishment.

"What?"

"Aah!" A voice shouted out in alarm, causing the two Americans to look around for its source. Standing only a few feet away were none other than Chuuzenji and Hisamatsu.

"It can't be…" Hisamatsu stammered, going weak in the knees. He was staring at Minato as though he had just seen a ghost. "K… Kikyo-san _!_?"

"Kikyo?" Minato said, blinking in confusion. Could it be this man used to know her mother?

"Excuse me, but is something— _kyaaa!_!" The handsome woman who had just emerged from the shop cried out in fear, falling when her knees went weak with shock.

"Aoi-san?" Another attractive woman called worriedly as she and a young lady (whom Chuuzenji immediately recognized as Chizuko-san) rushed out upon hearing her scream. "What on earth…" Whatever the older woman had been about to say died in her throat when she saw Minato, and all the blood drained from her face.

"Obaa-san? Okaa-san?" Chizuko asked worriedly, furrowing her pretty brow in concern as she glanced between the two women and Minato, looking puzzled.

"K… Kikyo... san?" the second woman finally managed to stutter in her shock.

"Eh?" Chizuko said, eyes widening in surprise.

"Ah, wait a minute…" Minato started to say.

"S… Salt! Get the salt _!_!" The woman called Aoi shouted suddenly.

"Please, calm down! I'm not here to hurt you." Minato said earnestly, holding up both hands to show she meant no harm. "I promise you, I'm not a ghost. I'm Kikyo's daughter, Minato, and I assure you I'm perfectly alive. See, I still have my feet and everything." She reassured them, lifting her kimono a little to give them a better view of said appendages. Everyone stared at her in sort of stunned silence.

"Huh? What does having feet have to do with being a ghost?" Ken asked dubiously.

"What?" Minato said, blinking again. "But it was my understanding that Japanese ghosts aren't supposed to have feet, right?" she said with a perfectly serious expression on her face.

"Pfft, ahaha!" Chuuzenji suddenly laughed despite himself, unable to hold back any longer.

"Did I say something strange?" Minato asked, tilting her head slightly, while the others stared at him, and Hisamatsu-sensei gave him a look. "Ah, I'm sorry." He apologized, clearing his throat. "It's true that ghosts are often depicted that way in traditional artwork. I was just surprised to hear someone like you say something like that so seriously in broad daylight."

"Someone like me?" Minato asked, arching a delicate eyebrow at him. Just what was that supposed to mean? "I did say it would be nice to meet you again Chuuzenji-san, but I must admit, I didn't expect it to be so soon. Do you also have some business here?"

"Yes, that's right." He replied calmly. To be honest, he felt pleased to see her again, though it meant she would most likely find herself in trouble soon, since at least one of his suspicions had proved to be correct.

"Ah, that's right." Hisamatsu said, remembering his original goal. "This man is Chuuzenji Akihiko-sensei, a colleague of mine who has come all the way from Tokyo. I was hoping to introduce him to Chizuko-chan."

"To me?" Chizuko asked, surprised.

"Uhm, well…" Ken said, clearing his throat a bit awkwardly, deciding to make an attempt to shift the subject back to the original topic. Minato noticed he didn't seem very comfortable with the idea of another man being introduced to the pretty shop girl. "I can happily testify that this girl is 100% alive. See? Perfectly solid. And she has a pulse, too." He added, patting Minato firmly on the shoulder and holding her wrist up to show them while he mimed measuring her vitals.

"Oh, isn't that Ken-san?" Chizuko said, surprised. "Could it be the two of you know each other? How is it you are aquatinted?" she asked curiously. Chuuzenji noticed the woman called Aoi was eyeing the two Americans with open suspicion as she stood up again, straightening her apron and brushing herself off.

"Ah, we just happen to be childhood friends." Ken explained quickly. "Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are! I can't believe this is the same shop Kikyo-san used to tell us about. No wonder I thought your wagashi tasted familiar."

"And you never once thought to mention this in any of your letters?" Minato inquired, a little chagrined.

"Forgive me for not knowing the exact kanji used to spell the name of the legendary shop that I merely knew through stories told to me in my early childhood." He apologized to her with a straight face. "I mean, how was I supposed to know? You never told me your mother's maiden name was 'Sai'."

"Well, that's because my mother never told me." Minato said a bit defensively. Everyone her mother knew in America had met her after she had already become 'Mrs. Kikyo Strand'. That was the name the lawyer had used to locate her, too. 'Speaking of which…' Minato thought, frowning slightly. "Um, excuse me, but may I ask why I was greeted with such an extreme reaction?" she asked curiously as a very dignified older woman, who appeared to be in her early sixties, arrived in the company of a small, balding man in his mid-fifties.

"What are you all doing out in front of the store? Have we no customers?" the woman asked sternly when she saw them blocking the entrance. She paused for a moment when her eyes landed on Minato. "I see." she said thoughtfully, pursing her lips, while eyeing her up and down. "You must be the young woman Morishita-san told me about. Not only are you the spitting image of my daughter, but you have that man's eyes. You really are Kikyo's child."

"My apologies, Strand-san." The lawyer greeted Minato with a small bow. He was a nervous but capable little man. "I did not expect you to arrive so early. I had intended to explain the circumstances behind your coming here beforehand in order to prepare everyone before you came. You look so much like your late mother that it must have been quite startling for them." Minato frowned slightly when she noticed none of the family members seemed surprised to hear that her mother had passed away.

"It seems to me you told them too much, yet too little already, Morishita-san." She said coolly, clearly disappointed. "I recall specifically asking you not to inform the family of my mother's death, because I had intended to do so myself in person. That is not the kind of news someone should have to learn over the phone. As a result, they took me for my mother's ghost. Did you not tell them I was her daughter?"

"That was my decision." Sai Miyako said grimly. "I did not expect you to look so much like your mother, nor that you would show up wearing the very same kimono she chose to disappear in all those years ago." The sleeves had been shortened to make it more suitable for a married woman, but that pattern was unmistakable. "I am glad we decided to meet here first. I shudder to think of what may have happened should you have tried to appear before my husband in such a manner."

"It was this one?" Minato asked, surprised. "Then I must apologize for that. I had no idea it held such significance for the family. I had hoped to make a favorable impression by appearing before you properly dressed in a kimono, but it appears to have had the opposite effect."

"Indeed." Said her grandmother. "But what's done is done. Instead of continuing to stand out here and make a scene of ourselves, let us continue this conversation inside. You, too, Hisamatsu-sensei, young man." She added with a surreptitious glance at Chuuzenji, correctly guessing Hisamatsu's true purpose for bringing him along. She couldn't help but overhear how he had supposedly come to be introduced to Chizuko with the fuss they were all making as she approached them with Morishita, but she knew that was just an excuse because Hisamatsu had already informed her of his plan.

"I guess that's my cue to leave." Ken said a bit reluctantly. "Goodbye, Chizuko-san. I guess I'll see you around, Minato."

"See you around, _Ken-san_." Minato said with the hint of a sly note in her voice, giving her friend a knowing look. He must be a _very_ frequent customer to be on such familiar terms. Ken tried not to look too embarrassed and quickly excused himself.

Everyone still remaining followed Sai Miyako into the shop, which was promptly closed for the day to allow some privacy for their discussion. Chuuzenji and Hisamatsu were provided with sweets and tea and placed strategically by Miyako where they would still be able to hear the family meeting being held in the neighboring room, so that they could be apprised of the full situation without being too obvious about it.

"Please pardon us for allowing you to see such a disgraceful display." The women of the Sai family apologized gracefully together once tea had also been served to Minato.

"Please forgive me for startling you." Minato responded politely, returning their bow with the same inherent grace. "Perhaps we can start over again? I am Minato Strand, Kikyo's daughter. I have come here on behalf of my late mother. I hear you are having some trouble that you believe I could be of some help with?"

"Yes. I am Sai Miyako, your grandmother. This woman is Tanaka Aoi, your aunt, who was Kikyo's elder sister. She is married to Tanaka Shoutaro. And these two are Sai Ayame and Sai Chizuko, your other aunt and cousin through marriage to Kouta, our firstborn.

"Uncle Kouta? Where is he?" Minato asked curiously. She had heard a lot about him.

"He was killed during the war." Miyako answered grimly. Aoi clenched her fists, while Ayame and Chizuko looked down at their laps in sadness.

"I'm sorry." Minato said quietly with no small amount of empathy.

"And your father? I can't believe that man would allow a young lady to travel on her own like this." Miyako said, frowning slightly in disapproval.

"No, he definitely would have come." Minato replied wanly, putting on a brave face. "Unfortunately, he also…"

Silence filled the room. There had been heavy losses on both sides.

"Ah, but it's not like I'm completely on my own." Minato said, giving them a reassuring smile. "A handful of boys from my old neighborhood are stationed here, including Takeda Ken, whom I believe you're already familiar with. So you don't need to worry about me."

"Hmph. Just like Kikyo." Aoi muttered grudgingly under her breath. Miyako cast a sharp look in her direction before continuing the conversation.

"That simply won't do." Her grandmother said strictly. "It is still inappropriate for a young woman like yourself to be traveling alone and staying on your own in a strange country, not to mention dangerous. From now on, you will stay with us in the family home."

"But, Chichi-ue—" Aoi started to protest.

"Your father is in no position to object with his current condition."

"It's his current condition that worries me!" Aoi retorted anxiously. "What if the sight of her is too much for him? Even we were almost fooled."

"Okaa-sama, I too am concerned." Ayame said timidly. "Otou-sama already thinks he is seeing Kikyo-san's spirit. If Strand-san were to suddenly appear before him…"

"Um, excuse me, but… what is this business about my mother's ghost?" Minato asked curiously. No matter how much she resembled her mother, their reaction had been rather over the top. It was almost like they had been expecting a ghost to appear. "You were all so startled… Does it have something to do with the trouble Morishita-san mentioned over the phone? All I was told was that the reason you all were searching for my mother was because my grandfather was in bad health."

"Yes, well, I'm afraid matters are a little more complicated than that." Miyako said with a frown, exchanging a furtive glance with the lawyer and her family. With that, Miyako began explaining the desperate situation the family was in. Much of it was as Hisamatsu had already explained to Chuuzenji, with the supposed appearance of Sai Kikyo's disgruntled spirit, and how Youshiro-san believed he was the target of her wrath. Now that he was confined to his bed, the ghost had taken to lurking in the garden outside his room, where he could see her silhouette through the screen doors and hear her scratching against them, trying to get in. No one else in the house ever heard or saw the ghost, not even Sai Miyako, who shared a room with her husband. But she admitted to being a heavy sleeper, and could therefore not be counted on to corroborate her husband's story, even if it were true. Sai Youshiro had made many attempts to try to wake his wife to show her when the ghost appeared, but the ghost would always vanish by the time he succeeded. The more the family tried to reassure Youshiro and convince him that he must have been dreaming or only half awake at the time, and that there was no ghost, the more agitated he became, until it began affecting his physical health. He no longer felt safe sleeping at night, and he slept fitfully during the day, claiming he couldn't trust the family not to try to send him away. Since none of them believed him, he felt they were accusing him of being insane and was paranoid they might try to have him put in a mental hospital. He had even begun to refuse to sleep in the same room as his wife. Meanwhile, the family was becoming increasingly concerned for his mental and physical health, especially with his weak heart. And, on top of everything else, business had started to dwindle since rumors of the ghostly apparitions had evolved to accuse the family of being cursed. One or two employees had even left to work in a different shop.

"I see…" Minato said seriously, carefully considering everything that she had just heard. It was such a disturbing turn of events. No wonder they were so desperate. "Is that all?" she asked carefully. "Are you sure there was no physical evidence left behind?"

"Of course!" Aoi huffed indignantly. "We aren't fools. My husband searched high and low, but he found no signs of an intruder. Like he said, Chichi-ue must be imaging things because of stress. He should have retired and left running the shop to us once he found out about his heart. If only he weren't so stubborn!"

"Your father is no fool, either." Miyako snapped angrily at her daughter. "And how can you say there was nothing? Are you going to start discounting my word as well? I may not have seen the ghost with my own eyes, but I have seen traces of its presence and smelled its scent."

"Its scent?" Minato asked.

"Yes, during the times when my husband tried to wake me, there was a small amount of fog lingering in the air, and it had the same scent as Kikyo's favorite perfume." Miyako explained.

"Shiseido's _Kiku_?" Minato suggested. Her mother had worn that fragrance for as long as she could remember. It was the scent of her childhood.

"Yes." Miyako answered grimly. Minato held her chin with a very serious expression on her face, a habit she had picked up from her father.

"I would really like to try speaking to my grandfather." She said after a moment. "I think I may be able to help put his fears to rest."

"What can you do that we haven't already tried?" Aoi demanded skeptically. "You may be Kikyo's daughter, but you're virtually a stranger to us. You don't know him like we do."

"Aoi-san." Ayame said nervously.

"That's true." Minato agreed calmly. "But I know my mother, and I can tell you what happened to her and how she felt living in America with my father and I. Isn't that why you contacted me? I came with the hope of being able to share this information with all of you."

"Yes, and we greatly appreciate the effort you have made to come in person on such short notice." Miyako said solemnly. "I will make sure my husband is properly prepared for your arrival, so the shock will not be so great."

"Yes, and I think it would probably be best if I changed before meeting him. I can do that and fetch my bags from the hotel while you warn him. It isn't very far from here."

"Then it's settled. Morishita-san will accompany you." Miyako said in a tone that was not to be argued with, standing as she brought the discussion to a close. Everyone else stood and followed her out of the room. "It has already become very late in the day." Miyako observed with a glance out the window. She looked at Chuuzenji. "Since you have traveled so far to meet our Chizuko, I suppose the least we can do is invite you to our home for supper. You can give your greetings to the head of our family there." She said with meaning, obviously intending to use this meal as a way to smuggle him in to see Youshiro.

"Thank you, that is very kind of you." Chuuzenji said politely, accepting the invitation, though he noticed Aoi and Ayame seemed a little unsettled by the idea of letting a stranger into their home while the patriarch was in such a worrisome state. But if they wanted to object, neither did so in front of him.

While Morishita escorted Minato to her hotel, Hisamatsu-sensei excused himself for the evening to return to his own abode, and Chuuzenji was led into the living area to meet Sai Youshiro. Since the shop was in a _machiya_ from the Edo era, the house and the shop were part of the same building. The typical Kyoto _machiya_ is a long wooden home with narrow street frontage, stretching deep into the city block and often containing one or more small courtyard gardens or _tsuboniwa_. _Machiya_ incorporate earthen walls and baked tile roofs, and could be one, one and a half, two, or occasionally even three stories high. The front of the building traditionally served as the retail or shop space, generally having sliding or folding shutters that opened to facilitate the display of goods and wares. Behind this _mise no ma_ ('shop space'), the remainder of the main building is divided into the _kyoshitsubu_ or 'living space,' composed of divided rooms with raised timber floors and tatami mats, and the _doma_ or _tōriniwa_ , an unfloored earthen service space that contained the kitchen and also serves as the passage to the rear of the plot, where storehouses known as _kura_ are found. A _hibukuro_ above the kitchen serves as a chimney, carrying smoke and heat away and as a skylight, bringing light into the kitchen. The plot's width was traditionally an index of wealth, and typical _machiya_ plots were only 5.4 to 6 meters wide, but about 20 meters deep, leading to the nickname _unagi no nedoko_ , or eel beds. Miyako had Aoi, Ayame, and Chizuko begin preparations for the evening meal while she showed Chuuzenji to the room that her husband had taken to sleeping in. As Miyako reached for the door, it slid open to reveal a tall man in his forties with graying hair and narrow eyes.

"Oh, Okaa-san. Who is this man?" he asked bluntly, looking surprised to see them there.

"Chuuzenji-sensei, this is my son-in-law, Tanaka Shoutaro. Tanaka-san, this Chuuzenji Akihiko, an academic colleague of Hisamatsu-sensei. He is here to meet Chizuko, so I want him to properly greet my husband."

"Now is not the time for this sort of thing." Tanaka said with a frown. "Youshiro-san is getting worse. His 'episodes' are starting to happen during the day now. When I went in to check on him a few minutes ago, he was shouting and pointing outside into the garden saying, 'Look! Look! It's Kikyo!' and other nonsense. He claimed she was standing right in front of us, but there was nothing there. I've shut the outer doors, but he's still restless."

"Nevertheless, I must speak with my husband." Miyako insisted firmly. "Kikyo's daughter is coming here. He needs to be prepared for that. However…" she cast a glance at Chuuzenji. "Perhaps it would be better for you to wait until my husband has had a chance to calm down before speaking with him."

"Yes, it would be better if he had some rest first." Chuuzenji agreed. Exorcism could be physically and mentally exhausting, so in the event one was needed, it would be best to give Youshiro-san a chance to regain as much of his strength as possible before he tried anything.

Leaving it to Miyako to break the news of Minato's coming to Youshiro, Chuuzenji followed Tanaka Shoutaro to the room the family usually used to receive guests.

"I'm sorry, I suppose that was rather rude of me." Tanaka said, giving the younger man a more proper greeting, which Chuuzenji returned. "My nerves are a little frazzled from looking after my father-in-law all day. I was training to be a doctor before the war—well, to put it more accurately—I was a doctor, but then the law changed, and now they claim just having graduated from a medical university isn't good enough. Now my wife is trying to get me to take over the shop with her. If only the national exams hadn't become mandatory… What's wrong with the way we did things before?" he grumbled moodily, lighting up a cigarette. "I blame the Americans, always poking their noses where they don't belong."

"Excuse me, Tanaka-san, but I couldn't help overhearing what you said to Sai-san. Does it have anything to do with the rumors I happened to hear about a ghost?" Chuuzenji asked carefully, waiting to gauge his reaction.

"There is no ghost." Tanaka scoffed confidently without missing a beat. "Youshiro-san is just having some kind of nervous breakdown. Don't tell me you're one of those rubberneckers? If you came here with intention of laughing at us…" he said with a scowl, moving as though he was getting ready to throw him out.

"Not at all. What's happening to your family is no laughing matter." Chuuzenji replied solemnly, cool as a cucumber. Tanaka stared at him for a moment before relaxing back into a less threatening sitting position.

"So long as you understand." He grumbled. "I won't tolerate anyone interfering with my family. My father-in-law is a very sick man."

"That's enough, dear." Aoi said, entering the room with a tray of tea for them. "You shouldn't talk about our family's problems so freely people we hardly know. I bet that's how those nasty rumors got started." She scolded him tightly with a frown.

"None of this would be happening if your sister hadn't run off in the first place." Tanaka retorted.

"You think I don't know that?" she said angrily. "My sister has always been selfish because our father spoiled her too much, but what's done is done. I just hope seeing her daughter won't scare him to death!" she huffed in frustration, setting her husband's cup down on the table with more force than was necessary. The mounting stress surrounding the circumstances of Sai Youshiro's predicament was clearly affecting the rest of the family as well for them to be arguing in front of a guest like this. And then, almost as if she had been summoned by mere mention of her, Minato strand appeared with the lawyer Morishita, carrying two suitcases. The transformation was astounding. She had changed from the elegant and traditional kimono and geta that she had been wearing before into a much a more modern Western summer suit with a skirt that was a cheerful yellow, with white daisies embroidered along the collar and hem of the skirt. Its tailored style helped to show off her curves in way that was both modest and flattering. She was also wearing a pretty straw sunhat with a white bow tied around it, and beneath its brim her silky black hair had been let down and floated above her shoulders in a stylish long bob, which framed the string of pearls around her slender neck perfectly, and she wore a pair of dainty cotton lace gloves on her hands. Her light and stylish outfit clashed a bit with the maroon house slippers that had been provided for her, but Minato didn't seem to mind. Changing back into the style of clothing she was more accustomed to seemed to have freed something inside of her, because she glowed with an elegant confidence and held herself in a way that made it look like as though she had just stepped off the cover of a women's fashion magazine.  
Tanaka was stunned.

"Hello again." Minato greeted her aunt and Chuuzenji with a pleasant smile that was beginning to grow familiar to him. "Good afternoon," she greeted her uncle with a polite bow, "I am—"

"Kikyo's daughter, right?" Tanaka said, practically jumping to his feet, as he stood up to meet her. "You look so much like her, it's uncanny. Your mother was famous for her beauty, but you might actually have Kikyo-san beat." He praised his niece. Aoi pursed her lips in a sour expression.

"This is my husband, Tanaka Shoutaro." She introduced the forward man stiffly. "Shoutaro, why don't you take your niece's bags and bring them to the guest room for her." She suggested strictly, putting particular emphasis on the word _niece._ "Supper will be ready soon." She informed the others curtly before turning to leave the room, while her husband muttered something under his breath as he got up to take Minato's luggage from her.

"Um, is there anything I can help with?" Minato offered politely.

"That isn't necessary." Aoi said, glancing back at her with her brow furrowed slightly. "You're our guest. Besides, do you even know how to use a traditional Japanese kitchen?"

"Well, it has been a while…" Minato said, remembering the old-fashioned kitchen in the Takeda's shop. "In that case, may I at least contribute this much?" she asked, popping open one of her suitcases to retrieve a medium-sized rectangular tin. Chuuzenji noticed the rest of the case was packed with writing materials, books, and notebooks. Minato opened the tin and removed a box of fruit-shaped marzipan. "I remember my mother saying this was one of the few Western candies allowed in this household, so I figured my grandfather must really like it. Perhaps we can have it for desert?"

"I see." Aoi said, looking surprised. "It's true… Otou-san likes this a lot. Having some might cheer him up. Thank you. I will take this to the kitchen while you settle into your room." She said a little less frostily.

"Then, if you don't mind, I must take my leave now." Morishita said after a quick glance at his watch.

"Morishita-san isn't staying?" Minato asked, a little surprised that he would just leave like that after taking the trouble to escort her here all the way to and from her hotel.

"No, it is getting fairly late, so I'm afraid I really must be going. Please give my regards to Sai-san." The lawyer said with a bow.

"Yes, of course. Thank you for all your help." Minato said, returning his bow. "Take care, Morishita-san."

"Yes, take care. Shoutaro, will you please see, Morishita-san out?" Aoi requested, also bowing to the lawyer politely.

"Yeah, sure." Tanaka answered, releasing his grip on the suitcase he had already picked up to accompany the lawyer to the door.

"Since Tanaka-san is otherwise occupied, why don't I give you a hand with your luggage?" Chuuzenji offered, standing up to help.

"Ah, that's very kind of you, Chuuzenji-san, but it's really no trouble." Minato said a bit hastily as he reached for the suitcases, not wanting to be a bother. "I carried them both to the hotel on my own before, so I'm sure I can manage."

"I'm sure you can." Chuuzenji said with a small smile. "But like you said, it's no trouble. Would you mind showing us the way to the room, Tanaka-san?" he asked Aoi.

"Thank you, Chuuzenji-san. It's right this way." Aoi said, leading the way without even the slightest hint of objection.

'Huh? But, isn't he a guest too? When I offered my help, she…' Minato thought, blinking in confusion, as she followed them deeper into the long house. When they reached the sparse but clean and tastefully decorated guestroom, Minato decided to leave her luggage by the small desk inside for the moment and finish unpacking later.

"Ah, here you are." Miyako remarked upon finding them. "I will introduce the two of you to Youshiro after supper. My husband is still feeling poorly, and Ayame-san and Chizuko are setting the table as we speak."

"He won't be joining us?" Minato asked. The Aoi and Miyako tensed.

"No. He prefers to be alone since my son-in-law began questioning his sanity." Her grandmother answered tightly with a frown.

"I can imagine." Minato said sympathetically. "It can be difficult to communicate with someone who has trouble accepting a different reality simply because they haven't experienced it for themselves."

"A different reality? What are you talking about?" Aoi asked dubiously, furrowing her brow. "Reality is reality. There can only be one."

"Actually, I think there are probably as many 'realities' as there are people." Minato answered frankly, choosing her words carefully. "After all, what we call 'reality' is based largely upon our perception of the world around us, and we only know what our senses tell us based on how the mind interprets them. We see things not as they are, but how _we_ are." Aoi still looked skeptical, but Chuuzenji smiled appreciatively.

"Minato-san, I take it you are familiar with ancient Chinese and Greek philosophers?" he asked.

"Yes, my father used to collect books on them." Minato answered brightly. "Although they lived thousands of years ago, I found it interesting how many of them touched on ideas that we are only just now rediscovering and confirming through science and modern medicine."

"You seem to take after him." Miyako remarked. "Kikyo enjoyed reading, but she was never one for history or philosophy."

"Yes, we used to drive her crazy with our debates at the dinner table." Minato said with a smile and a laugh. "Our discussions could get pretty lively."


End file.
